STATCOUNTER

Nice Thought

I really like a headline that take a common phrase and gives it a slight twist; an eye-catching, ear-catching difference. Years ago, when I was working on LifeSavers, the art director and I came up with the idea of calling LifeSavers “The U. S. Mint,” based on their popularity. The account guy we presented the thought to came up with the idea of asking us to leave his office.

So I wonder if that unresolved hostility is part of the reason I like the bus shelter ad above. The ad, for Trident gum, takes a common idiom, “Mint Condition,” and gives it a nice twist. As Wikipedia puts it, “Originally, the phrase comes from the way collectors describe the condition of coins. As the name given to a coin factory is a "mint", then mint condition is the condition a coin is in when it leaves the mint. Over time, the term "mint" began to be used to describe many different items having excellent, like-new quality.”

If you can’t read the entire ad above (based not on your literacy but on my poor picture taking), it says: “Mint Condition. The most delicious of all the conditions.” Sure, a little generic (any minty item could use the claim), but preemptive and clever and, well, a good idea.

Isn’t there a cliché or familiar phrase you could twist, alter, adapt, change, or tweak to get a nice notion you might own? Bet you a mint condition penny there is!

I realize you are supposed to do most lists in groupings of three. But since I am not sure why that is, I am just doing two. You can add the third yourself, if you like.

1. They are installing informational video panels in the elevators in my office building. I am not crazy about the concept, preferring a few floors worth of technology avoidance to yet another “Here’s the latest news, as—or almost before—it actually happens.” And I really don’t care about knowing about nationwide airport congestion problems, particularly if I have no flights planned. But the fact is, I can’t resist staring at the panel, no matter what it is showing. Which is why I really like the name: Captivate. Because the panel does invariably capture my attention. And as the dictionary puts it, it does indeed “attract and hold the interest of.” “Captivate.” A good name. A good idea.

2. There is a restaurant in Manhattan, Park Avenue, which changes its menu and décor to reflect each of the four seasons. (I guess if there were not a restaurant already named the Four Seasons, they might have opted for that choice.) I like how they expressed that thought on this phone kiosk: “If you only go to four restaurants this year, make it this one.”

There you go. Two good ideas. One is a name. One is a headline. But neither relies on CGI, big budgets, social media or an endorsement by Lady Gaga.

Well, yes, it does rhyme (Nestea – yes tea) but other than that, what’s the point?

They do nothing with the “idea” to even begin to make it work, other than simply using it in the headline (YES makes the first move, YES rides the heat wave).

If all it took was rhyming to make an ad stand out, Coke could do “Coke Jokes” and Tropicana, “Have a Banana” campaigns. But unless the rhyme is reinforced with an idea, it is just a lazy attempt to get attention.

I think that rhymes could work sometimes, when backed up with a thought. But using rhymes as an idea is not what I’ve been taught.

There is a new TV comedy, “Better Off Ted” set in a giant research and development company called Veridian Dynamics. During each show there are commercials for the fictitious company, as if it were a real sponsor. (This false reality has been done before, of course, most notably for the Lost TV series and Oceanic Airlines. But I always love it when I see it done well.)

Wanted to show you a typical spot, because I think they are wonderful spoofs of the classic industrial, boring, multi-product international conglomerates. You can see others on YouTube, if you like.

Oh, and though your company is probably too small to have a large enough budget for institutional advertising like this, when you are, don’t.

Not sure why it is fraidy-cat, and not fraidy-dog or fraidy-cow. But the point is, fear is what stops many of us from doing what we know should be done. We are all hesitant to go outside our comfort zone, though admittedly the zone is larger for some than others. Some of us are afraid of success (how will I be able to service all those new customers, I’ll have no time for the things I want to do). Some afraid to change our products (what if it flops, how much should I charge). Some are afraid to give seminars (they’ll ask questions I can’t answer, they’ll discover I am not the expert they thought I was).

So here is a video David Simon (yes, that David Simon) sent me last year, but which I did not look at till recently, when I was clearing up my Gmail. It is J.K. Rowling’s commencement addressat Harvard in 2008. It is a wonderful 20 minutes that creates some very strong emotional reactions, particularly during the second half. If you do not agree that is one of the best speeches you have ever heard, you get double your money back.Oh, and what it has to do with today’s topic is well, the video's title is The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination.

As I’ve often stated, it is not the size of your budget, it is the size of your idea. Marketing opportunities are everywhere, in places you would never think of. Until you think of them. And once you do, they become so obvious you wonder why you never thought of them before.

Robin Ewert (no, not that Robin Ewert) sent me this picture.
And now that you’ve seen it, it does seem pretty obvious, doesn’t it? Ahh, the old 20-20 hindsight. And what is it? Just a straightforward little sticker with a simple message. But because of its unique distribution method, it’s hard to ignore.

So, after you’ve smacked your forehead in the classic, “Wow, I could have had a V8” moment, think about what media you might be using that is as inexpensive, relevant and shocking. But please, think outside the banana and don’t just come up with a list of banana stickers. That is merely the catalyst for your own original good ideas. And don’t confine yourself to the skin of other fruits, like an apple with a Doctor’s sticker on it, as in, “An apple a day.” Or a pineapple sticker that promotes a skin softening cream.

What other surfaces are there just waiting for you to do something clever with? Look around. And luckily, since this is my blog, I get to ask the questions without having to come up with the answers.

See this line? It can mean many different things to your business. Place it underneath, and it becomes your “bottom” line (Net income).Place it on the top, and it can refer to your “top” line (Gross revenues).

But pay too much attention to either one, at the expense of paying attention to your customers, and you are crossing a very important line—the line that says your business is not about you or your profits, but about your customers.

The only line customers care about is how quickly the line at the cash register moves.

A line that can help you is your tagline (slogan). But not if it is only a combination of words you slap onto the bottom of your logo, created because it says all the things you think your customers want to hear. A tagline has to come out of your marketing strategy as to what you are and what you offer that is different/better.

So you decide to have a Coke with your burger, at a local deli or coffee shop. "Sorry," the server says, "we only have..." And while you are waiting to hear "Pepsi" she finishes with "...Sparkle Cola."

Are you still thirsty? After all, what the heck is Sparkle Cola? You have never heard of it, have no idea who makes it, no sense of what it will taste like, what the ingredients are. Nothing.

And that, gentle reader, is why you want to become a brand. Many people, myself included, tell you to do certain things, because they will help you become a brand. All it means is that people will have a sense of who and what you are. Simply put, it is the personality of your product or service. Think of it as the difference between a stranger and a friend. The stranger may eventually prove himself to be a wonderful person, but right now it is so much easier for you to be comfortable with your friend. You know his qualities, his strengths, he has proven himself over time, and even when he is not at his best, or in a bad mood, you are more likely to be forgiving.

DAFFY'Sis a chain of discounted fashion designers' clothing and accessories. Their advertising has always had an edge to it, but it was only recently that I actually went into one of their stores. Loved two signs I saw there, because they showed someone was paying attention to the brand position, even in the little things.

One sign simply called it the "Undressing Room," which was more accurate and more unexpected. The second, my favorite, was the sign over the cashier's area. It said, "Pay here (But Not Too Much)."

Guarding your brand is not just watching over the expensive TV commercials. It is the signage, the point of purchase materials, the type selection, the consistent attitude of each piece of your communications.